Helsingin Sanomat took Jonathan Glancey for a tour around Helsinki and published the results yesterday¹ in the Sunday paper. He didn’t like the modern stuff. Not at all. Ruohlanti, Kamppi, Eiranranta, Töölönlahti all got criticised. This goes along with his luke warm criticism of the new Music Center from last month. All the modern stuff could be from anywhere, like its been dropped in by helicopter. What was good? The Old White church and square and the Jugendstil stuff.

My reaction would be too long to unpack fully here, I see his point and agree with much but I have some big reservations too. Ruohlahti and Kamppi all qualify for at least a little praise, and the old Carl Ludwig Engel Church and Square is no less dropped from a helicopter (it would have to be a steampunk helicopter wouldn’t it!)  than the modern stuff he criticizes in the early 21st century! The key point the Glancey makes about places like Ruohlahti and Salmisaari for example in how they (fail to) meet the street and work as part of the city which is very valid, but does certainly not apply to Kamppi which is a great throbbing, living development…….however it looks kind of samey! Although Glancey is more right than he is wrong this kind of melange of Architectural criticism and place tourism is a little too breezy. Perhaps its just a problem when a critic is dropped in from a Helicopter.

1. This article is in Finnish and only a part of what appeared yesterday. I’ll add to it if HS take the rest down from behind their paywall! [↩]